This series uses the FantasyLabs Tools to analyze MLB stacks in the day’s slate. The series does not provide play or fade recommendations. It provides analysis.
Washington Nationals
With the Lineup Builder, it’s easy to incorporate stacks into DFS rosters. Washington has been an offensive juggernaut to start the season, leading the league with an average of 6.19 runs per game, and they own today’s top five-man stack courtesy of the CSURAM88 Model:
As good as the Nationals have been, there is reason for pessimism. All five batters in the stack have Recent Batted Ball Luck Scores of no greater than +5, and Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, and Daniel Murphy all have scores of -42 or worse. Opposing pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez also has some slightly improved Statcast Data over the past 15 days, as he’s allowed hard contact on only 25 percent of balls put in play. Per the Trends tool, batters with comparable Rec BBL Scores facing pitchers with similar hard hit rates have had a historical Plus/Minus of -0.74 on DraftKings. The Nationals also have a Team Value Rating of only 55, one of the lowest marks on the slate, and yesterday the sharp high-stakes players rostered them at a lower rate than low-stakes players did (per the Ownership Dashboard).
Colorado Rockies
Per the Vegas Dashboard, the Cubs and Rockies have the highest implied team totals of the day at 5.9 and 5.2 runs, and the Rockies have the top four-man stack on FanDuel in the Bales Model:
The Rockies are intriguing, as Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez, and Ian Desmond all have Bargain Ratings of at least 82 percent on FanDuel, and batters with comparable Bargain Ratings have a historical Plus/Minus of +2.46 at Coors Field. Weather could once again be a factor in Colorado, so make sure you’re monitoring the news till lineups lock.
Oakland Athletics
If you’re looking for a contrarian stack for guaranteed prize pools, consider the Oakland Athletics. Per our Lineups page, they have one of the highest Team Value Ratings at 78 on DraftKings and 74 on FanDuel, and they also own the top non-Washington four-man Pro Trends stack:
All four of the stack batters are on relative hot streaks, besting their 12-month batted ball distances by 17 to 40 feet over the past 15 days. Batters with comparable increases in distance and implied team totals have a historical Plus/Minus of +1.50 on DraftKings. Cheaper than the Nationals and Rockies, the A’s will allow you to roster a stud pitcher like Max Scherzer or Carlos Carrasco.
Good luck, and be sure to read Bryan Mears’ MLB Breakdown later today!
News Updates
After this piece is published, FantasyLabs is likely to provide news updates on a number of players herein mentioned. Be sure to stay ahead of your competition with our industry-leading DFS-focused news blurbs:
